Radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) systems provide a method for automatic identification that uses devices called RFID tags to remotely store and retrieve data. An RFID tag may be attached to or incorporated into a product and identifies the product through radio-frequency (“RF”) waves. Most RFID tags contain an integrated circuit (“IC”) and an antenna. The IC stores and processes information, and modulates and demodulates an RF signal. The antenna receives and transmits the RF signal. RFID readers communicate with the IC of the RFID tag to relay information between the tag and the reader concerning the product. Today, there is a widespread use of RFID systems in enterprise supply chain management for improving the efficiency of inventory tracking and management.
RFID readers generally report all tag data that is read. Duplicate tag reads and redundant data are reported without filtering. Third party “middleware” software receiving the tag data typically provides a layer of filtering so that the data set reported to the customer is a meaningful representation of the number of tagged cartons or individual tagged products that have passed through an antenna field.
A software solution that provides advanced capabilities for processing and reporting tag data based on customizable tag events and resides on the RFID reader is very desirable for customers. This allows a customer to have control over the type and amount of data received from the RFID reader and use the data in any number of custom applications. One prior solution provided an interface between the RFID reader and the user. However, in this product, all features were hard-coded into the application, rendering development of new applications slow and inflexible. Adding features required modifying and recompiling the existing application code. Third party users often needed to customize a comprehensive configuration file, typically very specific to their particular site, enabling and disabling features that were configurable.
The difficulty presented in creating a software solution for multiple RFID readers and reporting tag data to various middleware packages has highlighted the need for a faster development environment. Consideration of the need for customizable feature sets and ongoing enhancements to support additional readers and middleware packages has underlined the need for the creation of a predefined development framework to serve as a basis from which applications may be rapidly developed.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for rapidly developing software applications that reside on an RFID reader using a predefined development framework.